This must be the place - No Lowell Data Center!

Image Source: ‘We don’t want this’: Protesters flood Lowell Township data center meeting

If you weren't at the Planning Commission meeting on Monday June 8th in Building 2 at the Kent County Youth Fairgrounds, you missed quite the evening! The greater Lowell community (est 450 people) showed up strong wearing red and white, waving signs and bringing their concerns front and center to Microsoft and the Planning Commission. Needless to say, words were not minced during the 6.5 hour meeting, where only 3 people spoke in favor of the development and while Chairman David Simmonds expressed his embarrassment with the group's opposition... Myself and others resonated with the calls of a community who is tired of not being heard by a Planning Commission, Board and Supervisor who seem to have already made up their mind about rolling out the red carpet for Microsoft and giving away the future of Lowell. Sustained cheers came throughout the night, most notably after following the words RECALL.

Was that the biggest crowd you've ever seen at a Lowell public meeting?

• Yep
• I've seen bigger

I would not be surprised if Monday night was the most attended public meeting in Township history and that display of community, in and of itself should be celebrated. What shouldn't be celebrated was the lack of accessibility. While Microsoft had chilled water and the only fan in the building pointing at them, they kept their backs turned on the community the entire night. Jonah Mills, Land Use Planning Director for Microsoft told residents all about Microsoft's plans, through AI generated powerpoint slides and talking points. He said they would pay their fair share...they won't. He said they would not seek tax exemptions...they will. And he said their conditional rezoning requirements go above and beyond current zoning, but actually, they don't. There is a history of back door dealing and dishonesty in how Microsoft, the Planning Commission and the Board have handled this development over the last 2 years, and it seems that nothing has or will change, unless the community decides otherwise, which we will.

Around 1:15 AM, Chairman Simmonds shared that Microsoft will be holding 3 "workshops" over the next month to discuss sustainability, meet with consumers energy, and learn more about the design... If you attended the first meeting at the Fairway, expect it to be more of the same sales pitch about how the data center will be completely benign and a net positive for the community.

Speaking of "Sustainability" - 2025 Microsoft Environmental Data Fact Sheet

US utilities have committed to connect more than 160GW of new large-load demand through 2037, according to a recent Woods Mackenzie report. According to Microsoft's 2025 sustainability report, electricity increased 7 million Mega Watt hours (MWh) YOY. That is an 800 MW increase (7,000,000 / 8,760 hrs), or 1 Palisades Nucelar Power Plant's (Covert, MI) worth of increased electricity consumption from FY24 to FY25. While this may sound like a lot, it is nothing compared to the electricity demands that will be realized in the coming years from the malignant, AI data center arms race. In addition, the minor footnote #2 from Microsoft's sustainability report states For FY24, 46% of total water withdrawals were in areas with water stress... What do you think the impacts from this type of massive growth, fuel and water consumption look like in 10, 20 years?

According to estimates by Epoch AI, Microsoft’s Fairwater (Mt. Pleasant, WI) datacenter will use more power than Los Angeles! They project the facility to consume over 3 Gigawatts by late 2027, when its fourth building becomes operational. This is one of DOZENS of Data Centers being rapidly and strategically deployed in Michigan. The increased electricity growth for Microsoft and every other high-tech company is the definition of unsustainable.

Source: Microsoft Fairwater Wisconsin - Satellite Explorer | Epoch AI

But Microsoft is going to tell us how it's okay, because while they will rapidly consuming everything available to them over here, they are installing solar panels over there! Ha! To give an appearance of doing something positive for the environment, they purchase Environmental Attribute Certificates (EAC's or Renewable Energy Certificate REC's) or sign up to Power Purchased Agreements with large scale renewable energy developments which are devouring tens of thousands of acres of Midwest farm-land, each year, in the name of progress? Currently, Microsoft has funded the Sylvan Solar Project | AES which will turn 1,250 acres of farmland in Newaygo, MI into 220 MW by Q3 2029.

Empty corporate and government promises are being built on the backs of rural America and a struggling agricultural community, and the residents of LOWELL SAY NO to a development which was built on abuses of power and which puts the health, environment and rural character of Lowell at risk!